Ever seem like you're just not naturally proficient at violin?
In this video, I unload the myth of skill and what actually results in long-lasting progress.
Want a structured course to success?
My 1 30 Violin Course takes you step by step from complete beginner to confident intermediate so you constantly understand precisely what to practice next.
Start with 10 FREE full-length lessons
No demonstrations, no gimmicks simply genuine progress.
All products included (other than the violin, of course).
Developed for adults who desire clearness and structure.
Start finding out now:
Open the START HERE PDF to access your lessons.
Click the blue-highlighted video links to follow along.
Download the resources for each lesson.
Wish to keep going?
After Lesson 10, continue through the complete course utilizing:
Tune Book 1 Tutorial Book 2 Tune Book 2 Tutorial Book 3 Tune Book 3
Get the complete course here:
#ViolinMotivation #AdultLearners #ViolinMindset
Click Here To Learn Piano or Keyboard
Your ongoing encouragement is very helpful.
won’t know if you have talent till you try it?
Hey A! How are Cuttlefish and Engelbert? 🤪
A skill can be learned, but talent is God-given.
You have both when it comes to music. You worked to learn the skills to be able to exploit your natural talent.
Kudos to the A!
Agreed. Talent may just make the journey easier but perseverance can achieve results. (Retired guy who played in my youth…and picked it up a few years ago for fun and happily making progress again.) It is even more pleasurable now as I am just playing for ‘fun’ now.
I agree STRONGLY with this. I started as an adult, with your lessons actually, plus the simply series books. Did that for several years until I had a good foundation and could play several songs, then kept going to weekly lessons and now going on year ten. I had zero “talent” and didn’t know how to read music at first. But I definitely stuck with it and practiced which is why I can play the instrument today.
I’m 53, been playing violin for 4 years mostly learning from YT videos like this. I have an extensive musical b/g, 40+ years with guitar / bass / drums / piano. I found learning the violin incredibly difficult, even harder than the cello. At least for me, the position of holding a violin, the angle of my arms and wrists isn’t natural in that my arms and wrists don’t bend like that naturally. Thanks to content like this, I now have over 30 violin songs. IMO here is what I think it takes for an adult learner: It takes sheer will power, strong discipline and a no-quit attitude powered by an intense desire to learn this instrument. I also recommend don’t start learning on a cheap violin and bow, they’re terrible and it’ll make it much harder to learn. If you can’t afford or not willing to buy a $1-2K violin considering renting a good one. Thanks for the content!
I was in third grade I was real interested in vision but my parents couldn’t afford the lesson. So at 68years old really want to learn please let me know if you can help me. Sincerely Anthony Ciotti
Thank you. I’m 64 and went to my first live lesson with an instructor today. The peacefulness of the instrument and the sound it makes, made my stressful days nonexistent. The lesson wasn’t long enough and the instructor was amazed at how ambitious I was and how much I’ve learned on Youtube University including your videos.
“…Youtube University…,” heh! That’s what I used to call learning stuff on YouTube with my 10th graders (I was a high school English teacher). We used to discuss how in the future, it’s very likely that no one will go to a brick-and-mortar school, and instead, they’ll just learn everything at YouTube Elementary School, then YouTube Middle School, then YouTube High School, and then…YouTube University! Heck, that’s already happening now with Abeka and Kahn Academy.
Thanks!
Wow, thank you so much. Very appreciated 🙂
You’re so right. I’ve given this same speech a lot to my high school English classes. Talent, if we consider that to be some sort of cosmic, natural, effortless ability to do something–to the degree that it exists at all–is just about the most overvalued thing in the universe. People who are good at things beyond the very beginning level just HATE it when people say how “talented” they are because to say that TOTALLY INVALIDATES the very long and difficult effort they put in to learn and practice something. It’s the same thing as when people look at my situation (I’m retired from two careers and have the money and situation to travel, buy whatever I want, etc, etc) and say “Oh, you’re so lucky….” Lucky?? LUCK had nothing to do with it–if anything, I’ve had to work around BAD luck! I CREATED my situation through my CHOICES, just as every person creates his or her situation through his or her choices. When it comes to the fiddle, whatever I can do on it is because of work and practice, not talent.
Yes, couldn’t agree more – I don’t consider myself to have talent at all. Granted it may lean toward my skill set and the way i’m built (perfectionist, eye for detail, ocd etc), but i’ve still worked none the less and no one gave me that skill – i’ve still had to work up from the bottom. And luck.. yes, I agree, don’t get me started on luck haha
@TheOnlineViolinTutor Hmm…you sound very much like me. I’m sure that if I were growing up today, I’d be on the “spectrum,” heh! I tend toward perfectionsim, I’m extremely literal, I like things orderly and in their places, I can’t stand to have dishes or laundry sitting around undone, and I can’t stand it when people are late. I like having and following rules and I like it when other people do the same. I’m a little less extreme about things in my present seventh decade, but…only a little 😊
That’s great! I’ve had to overcome a bad chainsaw accident to one hand and a separated shoulder on the other side. I quit for almost forty years, and came back to it at age 73. Progress is very very slow, but I’m determined, and that’s my talent. I have to keep my brain working, I’ll be damned if I’ll fall prey to dementia.
I think some people might be more musically inclined but everyone has to work. I don’t suppose anyone was born knowing how to play the violin. As you said, it takes dedication and grit. There is no benefit to quitting.
Hi Allison – There are exceptions when it comes to playing musical instruments. Granted “the violin is bloody difficult.” You won’t get an argument from yours truly. And it was with “patience, consistency and the ability to work through frustration without giving up” that kept me persevering with the violin. Yet, after ten years, I still only play the violin in the first position, within the first two octaves, and with a so-called finger vibrato. And that’s by choice.
On the other hand, instruments that I picked up really quickly, and play effortlessly are the diatonic pan flute and the diatonic harmonica (which I play both by ear). In fact, if I were able with as much expertise, “feeling, phrasing, vibrato, and all that good stuff,” play the violin as I do effortlessly with the harmonica – I would be a violin virtuoso. 😊🎻🎶
For real mrs, im an adult of 31 years old. I have no experience in any instrument. But i do want to learn violin to find inner peace in my soul.
Where do i start to learn?
If you head over to the info that is under the video, you’ll see details of my ‘1-30 Violin Course’ there.
I’ve copy and pasted it for you here for your ease. The first 10 lessons are free so you can see how you get on before you purchase any of the books and carry on with your violin journey:
🔥 Want a structured path to success?
My 1–30 Violin Course takes you step by step—from complete beginner to confident intermediate—so you always know exactly what to practice next.
🎁 Start with 10 FREE full-length lessons
✔️ No demos, no gimmicks—just real progress.
✔️ All materials included (except the violin, of course).
✔️ Designed for adults who want clarity and structure.
🎶 Start learning now: https://tinyurl.com/2c946az2📂
Open the ‘START HERE’ PDF to access your lessons.
🎥 Click the blue-highlighted video links to follow along.
📜 Download the resources for each lesson.
🎶 Want to keep going?
After Lesson 10, continue through the full course using:
📖 Song Book 1 → Tutorial Book 2 → Song Book 2 → Tutorial Book 3 → Song Book 3
Excellent advice and very true.
I absolutely love your videos and watch them with my son every time. Practice is undeniably the key to mastering anything! ❤❤❤
Maybe we can define “talent” as patience, determination, discipline and these are the universal “talents”.
The ability to practice consistently with patience is a true talent.
I can’t get the link to work
I can only suggest to try on another computer or device as the links are working with no issue. It may be something your end blocking it.